It seems like with every day, adjusting to this new life goes faster and faster. The other day, I woke up and said something to my host mom in Spanish without even thinking about it, and thought to myself, “Wow, I would not have been able to say that in perfect grammar a week ago.” The Spanish classes here are better than any school-based course I’ve taken in the past. Day 3, my instructor (who only teaches 5 of us, another great perk of the training), brought us to a nearby park with the assignment of talking to anyone, about anything. Totally just throwing us in there, knowing it might be awkward and that we were stepping out of our comfort zone. I ended up talking to Lionel and Cecilia, an older couple who actually tried to give me money when I said I didn’t get paid much as a volunteer (in response to their inquiry about salary, of course).

I’ve also been attending Emily, my 9 year-old host sister’s, volleyball practices each Tuesday/Thursday night. I walk straight to the courts after getting off the combi (the bus), and sit there for over an hour chatting with Isabel (my host mom) and her friends. Yesterday, I went to Emily’s game against a nearby team, and their coach ended up handing me a camera to take team photos. He also said I could practice with the older girls every Tuesday/Thursday after Emily’s younger crew finishes up. Needless to say, integration happens pretty easily as long as you stay open to it.

Isabel (again, my host mom), has 3 siblings in the area, and each has a PCV staying in their home. So, that means I have 3 built-in cousins in the cohort: Jill from the Bay Area, Carolina who is also from the Bay Area, and Makayla from Wisconsin (although an army brat, so also from 10 other places). Last night, our families got together for ceviche, wine, and hours of dancing on the rooftop. The ceviche was insane. Fresh, full of limón and spice, and paired with potatoes. I thought that was the main meal, but as I was slurping up the last of the ceviche sauce, the moms and aunties brought over a round of rice and chicken. You’d think I’d have been stuffed, but I ended up going for round two of arroz con pollo. The aunties were pleasantly surprised, and my PCV cousins were shocked I was asking for more … if you know me, you know that’s not surprising. Like myself, Jill loves to dance, so the two of us were learning all of the traditional Peruvian dances – baile de la selva (dances of the rainforest), cumbia, chincha, huayla, and others. Tonight, we’ve been invited to an exercise/dance class with one of the aunties … I’m imaging zumba, but make it Peruvian.

Final thoughts from the last couple days, the cohort had our first little fiesta Friday night. A currently serving volunteer came down from her permanent site and set up a pool/bar outing near the training center. We’re already close, but this brought us even closer … in the way that only beer and music can do.

On Saturday, we went to Lima! Due to political unrest, there are parts of downtown Lima that are off limits to us on a normal weekend, but they let it slide this one time. The first half of the day was full of history and culture – tours of the cultural museum, pre-Incan museum, and a guided tour around the Presidential Palace. We then bussed over to Miraflores, one of the wealthier, more touristy parts of Lima full of restaurants and shops lining the beach where plenty of surfers awaited waves. We ate ceviche (I have to say the home-prepared ceviche was better) and we just walked along Lima’s edge, which sits on a high cliff overlooking the water below.

It’s Monday, which means the start of training week 2 of 11. Hope everyone that’s reading this has a great week! <3